Green Room

How North Korean dictators deal with ex-lovers

Kim Jong-un’s ex-girlfriend was among a dozen well-known North Korean performers who were executed by firing squad nine days ago, according to South Korean reports.

Hyon Song-wol, a singer, rumoured to be a former lover of the North Korean leader, is said to have been arrested on Aug 17 with 11 others for violating laws against pornography.

All 12 were machine-gunned three days later, with other members of North Korea’s most famous pop groups and their immediate families forced to watch. The onlookers were then sent to prison camps, victims of the regime’s assumption of guilt by association, the reports stated.

“They were executed with machine guns while the key members of the Unhasu Orchestra, Wangjaesan Light Band and Moranbong Band as well as the families of the victims looked on,” said a Chinese source reported in the newspaper.

Absolutely horrific and awful. To be fair, Song-wol wasn’t killed simply because she was Kim Jong-un’s ex-lover, but holy crap.

They do…but it all depends on which circle of proximity one is to the leader. Used to tag the interest of Norks overseas now and then with a bit of porn…a very puritan sort they were.

But, I have to believe that this Hyun honey started her decline when she started wearing expensive jewelry instead of the proper Kim Il-sung button…and began living a lifestyle akin to Sharon Stone’s character in the Scorsese movie, “Casino.”

The inner circle out there has grown more and more like the inner circle around Tsar Nicholas back in the early 1900’s…or the dandies scampering around old Versailles…before the Bastille.

They’ve an HIV problem, and a drug problem…and Kim Jung-un’s older brother, the first son, was prevented from following Kim Chong-il because of his personal drug problem and rapacious gambling habit…he is still under house arrest of sorts in Macau…also involved in the porn film business at one time….but the first son of the Dear leader…gets you a reprieve. Being some dance hall floozie…OK… Magnolia Pavilion floozie, in the case of this Hyun honey…not so much.

Kim’s wife, Ri Sol-ju, was also a member of the Unhasu Orchestra before marriage and one theory is that Ri objected to the continuing high profile of her husband’s former girlfriend.

She was luckier than Kim Chol, vice minister of the army, who was executed with a mortar round in October 2012.
Kim Chol was reportedly executed for drinking and carousing during the official mourning period after Kim Jong-il’s death. On the explicit orders of Kim Jong-un to leave “no trace of him behind, down to his hair,” according to South Korean media, Kim Chol was forced to stand on a spot that had been zeroed in for a mortar round and “obliterated.”

Why would you buy into the North Korean propaganda about this? For all we know she was killed because she inadvertently chuckled at Fat Leaders tiny dinghy when forced to fellate him.

NotCoach on August 29, 2013 at 10:44 AM

Seems unlikely that he’d kill two whole bands over that. And sure it’s likely propaganda to say she was killed over porn, but it’s probably still not fair to say she was killed solely cause she was his ex.

The charges made at a North Korean public execution are for political and propaganda purposes. There need not be any basis in reality. I would be fairly surprised to find that there was any truth to the charges. The clear message from Kim is, “This is what happens to those who get on my bad side.”

Seems unlikely that he’d kill two whole bands over that. And sure it’s likely propaganda to say she was killed over porn, but it’s probably still not fair to say she was killed solely cause she was his ex.

Esthier on August 29, 2013 at 11:18 AM

You are assuming they operate in any way, shape, or form that is rational. A paranoid state run by fat, paranoid sociopaths does whatever the hell it wants to save face, or crush dissent. This from the article:

All 12 were machine-gunned three days later, with other members of North Korea’s most famous pop groups and their immediate families forced to watch. The onlookers were then sent to prison camps, victims of the regime’s assumption of guilt by association, the reports stated.

They don’t kill just offenders. They kill and imprison anyone who ever said hi or smiled at the offenders. So yes, I think it’s quite possible this was a personal vendetta against just her.

Our Dear Leader needs to launch some cruise missles at his NK namesake. After all, it would be only fair considering their level of atrocity.

Just another thought, slightly OT. Our Dear Leader has horrifically killed perhaps well over 100 innocent bystanders while vaporizing by drone al Queda bad guys who threatened our national security. How is this any different than Assad killing perhaps well over 100 innocent bystanders while chemically eliminating al Queda bad guys who threatened Syria’s national security?

Is Our Dear Leader contemplating a forced regime change here at home because of his actions? If not, how can he in any way justify enabling a forced regime change in Syria?

They don’t kill just offenders. They kill and imprison anyone who ever said hi or smiled at the offenders. So yes, I think it’s quite possible this was a personal vendetta against just her.

NotCoach on August 29, 2013 at 11:37 AM

The article also mentions political dissent as the more likely cause.

I mean, come on. It’s not like they just broke up last week or something. Yes, I believe the man could be this petty, but these were famous musicians, ones who sang patriotic songs. If it was all about her, he could have said she stared in a private porn video and could still have had everyone else watch her execution and go to reeducation camps.

I’m all for understanding that he’s irrational, but he’s not a cartoon.

I remember when they were being seen together (the great mystery woman) after their romance was rekindled, which romance had ended when Un’s father had forced him to quit seeing her when Un was being groomed to be the Great Leader. I guess a pop star was not the ideal the people of China would want in a First Lady.

They’d known each other since teens. After their breakup, she’d gotten married/divorced and had a child. Both her child/ex-husband just dropped out off the scene with nothing being heard about either of them after the romance with Un was rekindled after the death of Un’s father. (Un had attended one of her shows, which began their reacquaintance.)

People wondered out loud how it didn’t seem to bother her that she wasn’t ever seen again with her child or that her child was not seen again publicly, nor was her ex-. The thought was that perhaps having a shot at being the First Lady of China had made it seem worth it. She certainly didn’t seem too sad about it as they tooled about the country. Or, maybe she didn’t have a choice?

If there is a leader I would have no problem the U.S. assassinating with a drone it is Kim. North Korea could actually be a decent place if it was reunited with the South and run by Seoul. Unlike Syria, which is populated by people who believe in Islam, bringing democracy would work in North Korea just as it has in the South.

Sad to see such things like this happen to people who do have such potential to be civilized. We can all thank China for bringing this sick joke of a country to this world.

Does anyone remember how the little doughboy ranted about starting a nuclear war with the U.S. the minute he rose to power? The world was beginning to wonder if they should actually take him seriously when the increasingly nervous NK senior military slapped some 200 mph tape across the kid’s jowls and we haven’t heard any more since.

Seems like the only time he emerges in the news is for some off-the-wall behavior.

Everything you said is true except they have not executed anyone to date for pornography. Disappeared off with the family to a punishment farm, yes. Executions, no. Punishments are tracked by a number of groups and a Japanese expert on the regime has also commented on story making the same point.

So far, everyone is still sourcing a regional Chinese paper for this and this story itself was ‘overheard.’ A regime as twisted as the DPRK’s is capable of anything… the reality of frogmen abducting young Japanese beach goers to teach language sort of makes offing half of the DPRKs celebrity line-up seem entirely plausible.

I remember when they were being seen together (the great mystery woman) after their romance was rekindled, which romance had ended when Un’s father had forced him to quit seeing her when Un was being groomed to be the Great Leader. I guess a pop star was not the ideal the people of China would want in a First Lady.

They’d known each other since teens. After their breakup, she’d gotten married/divorced and had a child. Both her child/ex-husband just dropped out off the scene with nothing being heard about either of them after the romance with Un was rekindled after the death of Un’s father. (Un had attended one of her shows, which began their reacquaintance.)

People wondered out loud how it didn’t seem to bother her that she wasn’t ever seen again with her child or that her child was not seen again publicly, nor was her ex-. The thought was that perhaps having a shot at being the First Lady of China had made it seem worth it. She certainly didn’t seem too sad about it as they tooled about the country. Or, maybe she didn’t have a choice?